Tuesday, 15 May 2012

Dengeki Daisy vol. 1

Dengeki Daisy vol. 1 Story and Art by Kyousuke Motomi

Teru has many troubles to deal with from being dirt poor to
being constantly harassed by the student council. The only bright spot in 16
year old orphan Teru’s life is the text she shares with a person only known as
Daisy. Not long after shattering a window (by accident) with a baseball; bad
boy janitor Kurosaki Tasuku claims her as his “slave.”

Serialized in Betsucomi shojo (girl’s) comic anthology in
Japan, Dengeki Daisy is a breath of fresh air in the genre. The heroine is a
moralistic character and as a result easy to sympathize with. Though the entire
orphan concept has been done time and time again it’s treated exceptionally
well here.

Another positive about the protagonist is she isn’t one to
angst. Meanwhile her 24 year old romantic interest, Kurosaki, assists her
quietly from the shadows and the romance is slow to develop. This having been
said the romance itself is more than a little unsettling. Teru is at a much
different point in life (she’s only in high school) than Kurosaki.

The series also stretches suspension of disbelief at times…
there are limits to a person’s density. By volume’s end she still has not figured
out who Daisy is even though the author has basically done everything short of
telling her (and the reader) Daisy’s real identity. Ultimately, Dengeki Daisy
is a refreshing change of pace and while it has its flaws it is still a
standout in the shojo genre.

Dengeki Daisy is available in both print and digital formats
from Viz Media.